Members race81 Posted September 23, 2013 Members Share Posted September 23, 2013 My wife, both of us musicians, took a weekend without the kids to spend down in Nashville. Its been about 17 years since going there. I had good vibes going, but left with a feeling that legendary town will never be the same. Its changed......just not sure what I think of it just yet. The town still has the bums it had years ago, but the crowd has changed. Yes It has gotten younger, and the genre's of music has spread upon the town very rapidly. As we walked up and down broadway listening to different players, I didnt hear the level of talant there I was expecting. Yes there was a few outstanding players, but most were just ok. I also took home the feeling that this was a town of musical beggers. Every club, every two to three songs they were out passing a tip jar, and not shamed to tell you they just play for tips. I understand a tip jar.....just not telling everyone about it every two seconds. Nashville also has a very diverse crowd these days....not only country, but rock, and even watched rapper on broadway.....interesting mix. I once thought of moving there about twenty years ago.....but after seeing what i experienced, my thought was, you'd have to be crazy to go there......or at least young and stupid. Not trying to give them or anyone a bad rap but, I was uprooted at the current scene there. If anybody is here from there, tell me your thoughts. Have the musicians as a society stooped to playing for tips, just for that one slim chance of actually making a career of music? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted September 25, 2013 Members Share Posted September 25, 2013 race81 wrote: My wife, both of us musicians, took a weekend without the kids to spend down in Nashville. Its been about 17 years since going there. I had good vibes going, but left with a feeling that legendary town will never be the same. Its changed......just not sure what I think of it just yet. The town still has the bums it had years ago, but the crowd has changed. Yes It has gotten younger, and the genre's of music has spread upon the town very rapidly. As we walked up and down broadway listening to different players, I didnt hear the level of talant there I was expecting. Yes there was a few outstanding players, but most were just ok. I also took home the feeling that this was a town of musical beggers. Every club, every two to three songs they were out passing a tip jar, and not shamed to tell you they just play for tips. I understand a tip jar.....just not telling everyone about it every two seconds. Nashville also has a very diverse crowd these days....not only country, but rock, and even watched rapper on broadway.....interesting mix. I once thought of moving there about twenty years ago.....but after seeing what i experienced, my thought was, you'd have to be crazy to go there......or at least young and stupid. Not trying to give them or anyone a bad rap but, I was uprooted at the current scene there. If anybody is here from there, tell me your thoughts. Have the musicians as a society stooped to playing for tips, just for that one slim chance of actually making a career of music? Nashville has changed so I hear but in many ways it's still the same. Yes broadway sucks! There IS despiration in the air and the musicians are doing everything they think they can to get people to tip them but people are on credit cards these days and times are DIRE! The reason you are seeing a drop in the skill level on broadway is that the really great players can't afford to bother with it as they spend more $$ in gas then they can make much of the time!! Tips are WAY down and the clubs don't care, They still really don't pay much. Some have a small guarantee of $40 or $50 for 3 or 4 hours, no breaks...This is minimum wage or less after your gass money, parking downtown which is outragious!! No, many GREAT musicians stay at home now and make their $100 a night at least in bumphuk Iowa. There's really very few slots nowadays as business is down all over and people can't afford to make the jump, take the huge risk or in my case, step way way down financially to come here and give it a chance. OR they come for a few months and end up packing it in and going back home to the $100 a night gigs which are a DAMN sight better than Broadway. Broadway gigs CAN lead to some better opportunities for the better players that come here and can stick it out a bit. The really great players always seem to find better gigs in road bands fairly quickly if that's what they are after. I know because I know a bunch of them who have done just that. Took them anywhere from 6 months to a year on average slogging around town doing any gig they can, playing for FREE for months but now they are on buses with signed acts making $250-$750 a show, hotel and per diem taken care of:) ALL the good and cool players I know who worked that angle have done it. THAT's why you rarely hear them on broadway. Because they only slog it out there until they get called up.I've been fortunate enough to meet and get to know a bunch of the top session guys and I can tell you they are MONSTEROUS Monsters of the HIGHEST ORDER!! I can also tell you I know countless others who would be the best guitarist, vocalist, bassist, drummer back home in Bumphuk Iowa as well! Everyone is hurting in this industry but the sidemen are at least making a few bucks in tips plus $50 a Laylas if they are lucky! NO artists are making ANY money!! In fact, they have to PAY these sidemen to play with them at their gigs, showcases, rounds, etc...It's WAY worse for them. There is despiration in the air everywhere these days.I agree that you have to be crazy to move here these days but if you have a dream you DO have to go for it! It would be much easier to move here when you are young, don't have responsibilities, kids, etc etc..Doing it at my age is UTTER INSANITY!!!The broadway thing sucks with the tips and the despiration but truthfully musicians have done this to themselves and always will. If they just banded together and refused to play for nothing these clubs that would be NOTHING without the legendary music of MUSIC CITY would have ZERO business!! what would Music City and Broadway be if no musicians were playing???? These bars would have NOTHING without live music yet they continue to exploit the desperate dreams of these poor bastards downtown who are only ensuring the continuation of their fate by agreeing to work for little pay and tips...Sad sad sad...I've been everywhere and nowhere even comes close to the skill and talent level here. Regardless of tough times. However, don't look to broadway these days for it. Most great musicians can't afford to be exploited there very long. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members race81 Posted September 25, 2013 Author Members Share Posted September 25, 2013 great post......kinda verifies my suspicions. What the heck are the musician unions down there if they allow this? Supose they only care about big money? I gots no problem with a tip jar per say, but your right...it's like desperation. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members wheresgrant3 Posted September 25, 2013 Members Share Posted September 25, 2013 I'm in Nashville 3x's a year for business and I literally go to the same two places every time I'm there.... The Station Inn in The Gulch and Bourbon St. Boogie Bar in Printers Alley. They never EVER dissapoint every time I'm there. I stay off Broadway as the food and music caters to the tourists. I'm not really a Nashville expert but when I find something I like I stick with it! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members J.Paul Posted September 26, 2013 Members Share Posted September 26, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members race81 Posted September 26, 2013 Author Members Share Posted September 26, 2013 J.Paul...........no problem going out of nashville, in the two days I was there we were in nashville, goodlettsville, Hendersonville, and Franklin.........Will keep an eye open for the next trip. Well looky there....Alton, Il.....not to far from me actually, ride bikes down there every once in a while....Fast Eddies is a cool place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 3shiftgtr Posted September 30, 2013 Members Share Posted September 30, 2013 J.Paul wrote: Who you playin with at Fast Jack's? I've got a wedding gig that aft/eve, I'll swing by after if possible. U in my neck of the woods now bitch..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 3shiftgtr Posted September 30, 2013 Members Share Posted September 30, 2013 And as to Nashville.... ....it started happening in the 90's. The Japanese bought out most of the majors on music row and the "machine" of country started to wobble when the mega success of Garth and Shania made everyone start to shy away from the 'ville as a place to work. Toby Keith and the like followed suit. Much of the record companies kept their offices, but mostly for show....waaaay downsized. There was a time when I come in off the road, I'd come into town and do demos. 3 songs a session at 30 bucks a song, with one session in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. I'd work 3 or 4 days a week doing that, do gigs at night and teach. Then in the spring and summer I'd head out with someone. It was a good thing if you had the goods and could hang. Gaylord sold Opryland and bought downtown out. Snorklefest ensued. Then when the web turned music purchasing upside down, and the revenue streams from record sales began to change, and marketing an artist quadrupled in cost in the mid 2k's, you lost the "Middle Class" of the country music industry. And that is reflected in the live music in that town. Musicians only do gigs in town to network, and nothing else. Cover stuff is a different thing. And that includes supporting other artists. I've gone to shows that should be supported by musicians, only to have empty chairs everywhere. Musicians in the 'ville are and always were too cynical to support anything that won't be a benefit to them. So for most Nashville musicians, it's not about the music, it's about the gig. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members sventvkg Posted October 1, 2013 Members Share Posted October 1, 2013 3rdshift...I'm in Smyrna. Paul and I live very close. I'd love to meet ya sometime man. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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